UC-NRL 


— Q 

cO 


E  TOY  SHOP 


STORY     OF     LINCOLN 


G  A  R  I  T  A      S   P  A    L  O  I   N  G      GERRY 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

CERF  LIBRARY 

PRESENTED  BY 

REBECCA  CERF  '02 

IN  THE  NAMES  OF 

CHARLOTTE  CERF  '95 

MARCEL  E.  CERF  '97 

BARRY  CERF  *02 


j»0 

II' 


THE  MAN  WAS  LEAVING  HIS  OWN  FRONT  DOOR 


S 


TOY 
HOP 


A  ROMANTIC  STORY 
OF  LINCOLN  THE  MAN 

BY 
MARGARITA  SPALDING  GERRY 


HARPER    &    BROTHERS 

NEW      YORK      AND      LONDON 
MCMVIII 


Copyright,  1908,  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS. 

All  rights  reserved. 
Published  September,  iqog. 


(r371 


The  child  is  eternal,  and  so  are  toys  and  tears 
and  laughter.  When  the  house  is  put  in  order 
by  strange  men,  'when  the  clothes  that  were 
worn  and  the  tools  that  'were  used  are  put 
away,  there  'will  be  found  an  upper  room  full 
of  toys.  These  remain. 


M567290 


THE   TOY-SHOP 


THE   TOY -SHOP 


HE  Man  was  leaving  his  own  front 
door.  On  the  steps  he  paused  and 
looked  sombrely  back*  The  white 
pillars  of  the  facade  rose  before 
him  in  stately  fashion.  They  re 
minded  him  of  the  care  he  was  evading  for 
the  moment,  and  he  sighed*  Though  he  shut 
his  eyes  determinedly,  he  knew  that  another 
grim  building  just  beyond,  the  usual  end  of 
his  journeying,  demanded  him,  and  he  sighed 
again.  This  time  there  was  something  more 
than  weariness  in  the  sound. 
From  around  the  corner  of  the  house, 

which  almost  hid  from  view  the  white  tents 
3 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

of  the  Home  Guard,  ran  a  child*  He  was 
bright-faced,  and  magnificent  in  a  minia 
ture  officer's  uniform, 

44  Oh,  papa-day !"  he  cried,  4<  Never  mind 
the  curtains  for  my  stage.  You  are  always 
too  busy  now  to  see  my  plays,  anyway — !" 
He  interrupted  himself  to  fling  this  in  petu 
lantly:  **  But  get  lots  of  soldiers — and  one 
company  of  cavalry.  I  can't  get  him  sur 
rounded  without  two  more  companies — and 
six  cannon  I" 

The  child  lisped  so  in  his  eagerness  that 
no  one  but  his  father  could  have  under 
stood  him,  and  his  father  was  so  lost  in 
his  gloomy  thought  that  he  did  not  know 
the  child  had  spoken.  When  the  expected 
reply  did  not  come,  the  boy  looked  his 
wonder. 

44  Papa-day — papa-day!"  he  cried,  giving 
the  man  a  little  push.  44 1  want  some 

soldiers!" 

4 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

Startled  out  of  his  sadness,  the  father 
looked  at  the  child* 

"  Soldiers?  All  right,  son;  Fm  off  for  a 
walk  now.  I  saw  a  shop  the  other  day/' 

He  walked  off*  It  was  not  a  beautiful 
street  down  which  he  turned*  Even  the 
fine  width  of  it  suggested  an  inflated  sense 
of  its  own  importance*  There  were  some 
good  lines  in  the  structure  at  the  first  corner* 
but  the  building  was  unfinished*  and  droop 
ed  sadly*  like  an  eagle  without  its  wings* 
Beyond  that  corner  the  paving  of  the  street 
ended*  Looking  at  the  mud*  the  Man  wish 
ed  vaguely  that  he  had  worn  his  boots* 

He  swung  down  the  row  of  dingy  busi 
ness  houses*  his  eye  on  the  ragged  sky-line* 
His  ungainly  strides  covered  the  ground 
rapidly,  even  though  in  abstraction  he 
stumbled  over  the  uneven  brick  sidewalk* 
The  Man's  face  fell  again  into  lines  of  mel 
ancholy  thought* 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

44  There  is  no  hope  for  it,"  he  told  himself. 
44 1  will  have  to  sign  the  warrant*  I  can't 
find  the  shadow  of  an  excuse*  It  is  a  clear 
case  of  desertion/'  His  thoughts  drifted  to 
the  armies  facing  each  other  in  the  cheer 
less,  raw  December  weather — his  army  sod 
den  with  fogs,  sullen  with  inaction*  "The 
poor  young  fellow  must  be  punished." 
The  Man's  heart  ached  with  comprehen 
sion*  He  understood  so  well  the  wave  of 
homesickness,  for  which  he  had  the  more 
tender  sympathy  because  of  the  absence  of 
it  in  his  own  cheerless  boyhood*  "After 
all,  he  is  a  soldier,  and  he  must  be  punished 
for  the  good  of  the  others*  And  that  boy 
— like  so  many  other  boys — would  have 
been  a  hero,  not  a  deserter,  at  another  turn 
of  the  wheel*  It  is  idleness  that  makes 
traitors  of  them*  Where  can  I  find  a  man 
who  will  end  all  this?" 

He  passed  the  comfortable  portico  of  a 
6 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

church  which  carried  with  it  a  breath  of 
thrifty  village  life.  He  had  been  there  the 
Sunday  before,  and  the  minister  had  prayed 
for  peace.  "  Peace!"  The  word  smote 
him,  for  he  had  ordained  war.  "  Peace! 
How  can  I  compass  it?  Somewhere  in  the 
Eternal  Consciousness  must  rest  the  knowl 
edge.  But  how  can  I  discover  it  ?  *  Such 
knowledge  is  too  high;  I  cannot  attain  to 
it/  "  groaned  the  Man. 

With  the  thought  he  raised  his  eyes.  He 
was  opposite  a  young  ladies'  boarding- 
school.  It  was  a  decorous  place,  sedately 
retired  on  a  terrace.  A  group  of  young 
women  in  billowing  crinolines  were  return 
ing  from  the  daily  walk.  There  was  a 
lively  ripple  of  subdued  comment  as  he 
looked  up. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  such  awkwardness?" 
asked  of  her  companion  a  girl  from  Virginia. 
4 'And  the  creases  in  his  coat!"  There  was 
7 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

much  mirtht  in  the  midst  of  which  a  young 
lady  from  Maryland  laughed  out: 

44  Did  you  ever  see  him  try  to  bow  to  a 
lady?" 

Quite  ignorant  of  these  girlish  strictures, 
the  Man  caught  the  eye  of  the  youngest 
boarder,  who,  kept  in  the  house  with  a  sore 
throat,  was  flattening  her  nose  hopelessly 
against  the  window-pane.  Something  in 
the  face  of  the  sad-looking  man  made  her 
throw  him  a  shy  little  appeal  for  sympathy 
from  two  red  and  swollen  eyes.  He  an 
swered  it.  Then: 

"  That  child,  too,  I  may  have  made  father 
less  even  now,"  he  thought,  and  shuddered* 

44  How  to  end  it?"  His  mind  kept  him 
remorselessly  at  work.  "I  have  failed. 
Another  man  might  know — so  many  claim 
to  know.  If  a  better  man  were  in  my 
place,  perhaps  he  could  stop  the  killing  and 
the  sorrow." 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

He  was  approaching  a  poorer  part  of  the 
city,  where  modest  homes  and  small  in 
dustries  bound  about  the  lives  of  simple 
folk,  quite  apart  from  the  square,  dignified 
old  houses  where  the  aristocrats  lived. 
The  houses  seemed  to  press  in  upon  him 
like  the  sorrows  of  the  world.  He  thought 
of  those  who  had  gone  out  from  them. 

44  My  hand  sent  them  out  —  the  bright 
youth,  North  and  South — to  kill  and  to  be 
killed.  And  my  hand  cannot  bring  them 
back.  Had  I  the  right  to  do  it?  How 
could  I  have  thought  that  any  good  could 
come  from  such  as  I?  I  thought  I  saw 
clearly — I,  sprung  out  of  such  darkness — 
having  seen  such  sin.  What  right  had  I 
to  think  that  I  could  lead  ?  It  was  a  crime  I" 

He  came  to  a  group  of  tiny  two-story 
shops — cobblers'  rooms,  dingy  groceries. 

44  Would  it  not  be  less  a  sin  to  end  it  all — 
to  make  way  for  some  man  who  was  not 
9 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

cursed  before  he  was  born?  Surely  it  would 
not  be  a  sin  to  lay  it  all  down — no  matter 
the  way — to  end  it  all — to  make  way — " 

A  little  child,  turning  to  go  into  one  of 
the  shops,  brushed  lightly  against  him,  and 
he  started*  When  he  looked  up  his  face 
was  tragic.  Through  the  daze  came  a 
recollection.  Surely  it  was  here,  the  fifth 
door  from  the  corner,  that  he  was  going. 
It  was  a  toy-shop  he  was  looking  for.  Yes, 
that  was  the  name — Schotz.  For  the  son 
had  said  he  wanted  toys.  The  father  en 
tered  the  shop,  though  he  saw  but  dimly. 
His  mind  was  turned  in  on  its  own  sorrows, 
and  he  went  in,  muttering  to  his  own  ears: 
"  To  end  it  all — to  make  way." 

He  had  to  wait  for  a  moment  while  the 
mite  who  had  ushered  him  in  made  a 
purchase.  It  was  a  girl  child.  She  was 
too  awe-struck  by  the  glories  laid  before  her 
to  talk;  but  she  managed  to  point  with  a 
JO 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

fat  forefinger  to  the  penny  doll  she  desired. 
The  gesture  with  which  she  seized  it  brought 
— strangely  enough — a  smile  to  the  deep-set 
eyes  of  the  stranger  who  stood  watching  her* 
His  face  was  quite  different  when  he  smiled* 
Lines  which  had  seemed  nothing  but  deep- 
graven  channels  for  sorrow  became  paths 
for  tenderness*  Outside  he  heard  her  break 
into  excited,  high-voiced  triumph,  which 
was  mingled  with  the  chatter  of  her  mates. 
The  little  shop  was  a  modest  place*  On 
one  side  was  a  counter  where,  safe  under 
glass,  were  home-made  candies  and  cakes, 
with  a  rosy-cheeked  apple  or  two*  But, 
lining  the  walls,  tumbling  over  shelves, 
crowded  into  old-fashioned  presses,  were 
the  toys.  There  were  dolls,  of  course, 
patrician  wax  dolls  with  delicate  eyebrows 
of  real  hair,  hearty,  wooden-jointed  dolls 
that  were  a  real  comfort  to  little  mothers. 

There  were  wheels  of  fortune  where  one 
n 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

could  see  a  steeple-chase  if  he  spun  hard 
enough  to  make  the  horses  vault  the  hurdles* 
There  was  a  fascinating  confusion  of  supple 
jacks,  house  furniture,  houses  of  Oriental 
magnificence,  little  imported  German  toys 
—horses,  trees,  dogs*  As  the  Man's  mel 
ancholy  eyes  comprehended  all  that  the 
place  contained  to  minister  to  childish  de 
light,  something  of  the  bitterness  left  them. 
In  its  place  was  a  curious  inertness.  One 
would  have  said  that  the  man's  being  was 
paralyzed  with  doubt. 

The  next  instant  he  had  seen  something 
that  brought  grief  back  again — something 
that  reminded  him  of  his  burden.  For, 
marching  valiantly  over  the  shelves,  storm 
ing  wooden  boxes  flanked  with  cannon, 
were  toy  soldiers.  There  were,  too,  all  the 
necessary  trappings  of  combat  —  swords, 
guns;  soldier  suits,  arrayed  in  which  youth 
ful  generals  could  marshal  their  forces  and 
\2 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

sweep  the  enemy's  army  before  them — while 
their  fathers  elsewhere  learned  the  tragedy 
of  war* 

Behind  the  counter  was  a  pretty,  young- 
faced  woman,  who  looked  her  fifty  years 
only  from  the  softness  sometimes  brought 
by  the  records  of  many  days.  She  smiled  at 
him  in  friendly  fashion  and,  unhurried,  wait 
ed  his  request*  While  she  reached  for  the 
toys  the  son  had  asked  for,  the  Man,  bent 
over  the  counter,  fingered  the  dolls  left 
lying  there  from  the  last  small  purchaser 
with  clumsy,  gentle  fingers* 

"Who  makes  that  'dolly'  furniture ?" 
he  asked,  idly*  "  I  wish  I  could  get  any  one 
to  work  for  me  one-half  so  well.  Carved, 
too*  I  didn't  know  there  were  tools  fine 
enough  to  make  those  tiny  wreaths*" 

Mrs*  Schotz  shook  her  head  at  him  good- 
humoredly* 

44  My  man,  he  speak  English.  I — not — 
J3 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

can/'  Following  her  gesture,  the  stranger 
saw,  in  the  back  part  of  the  shop,  a  patient 
figure  at  work* 

Joseph  Schotz  was  sitting  in  an  invalid- 
chair,  a  table  littered  with  tools  and  bits  of 
wood  by  his  side.  One  leg,  bandaged  and 
swathed,  rested  on  a  cushion.  His  strong 
peasant  face  was  seamed  and  drawn  with 
pain. 

The  Man  was  beside  him  in  an  instant. 

14  Yes,  I  make  the  dolls'  houses  and  carve 
the  furniture — great  work,  that,  for  a  man, 
sir?  I  used  to  be  a  cabinet-maker  at  An 
napolis — before  my  leg  got  so  bad.  No, 
sir,  I  did  not  learn  my  trade  there.  I  was 
apprenticed  to  Cadieux,  who  was  cabinet 
maker  to  Napoleon.  Yes,  the  Emperor. 
Who  else  could  it  have  been?  But  that 
was  after  those  pigs  of  Russians  shot  me 
in  the  leg.  It  was  their  ball  that  brought 
me  here,"  with  a  contemptuous  glance  at 
J4 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

his  bandaged  leg.  "  I  was  color-bearer — 
you  see,  I  was  too  young  to  go  in  any  other 
way*  I  was  sixteen  when  I  was  wounded/' 
The  Man  found  himself  a  chair* 
"  Why*  no*  sir*  it  isn't  much  of  a  story. 
It  is  only  that  I  could  never  stay  still.  I 
don't  believe  men  were  ever  meant  to. 
That's  why  it's—"  He  checked  himself 
with  a  glance  at  his  wife.  "  I  was  born 
in  the  Tyrol,  but  the  name  of  Buonaparte 
pulled  me  to  France.  Why*  sir*  I  don't 
know  what  it  was,  but  he  is  the  only  great 
man  I  have  ever  known.  He  made  you 
drop  everything  and  go  with  him,  that  is 
all.  We  never  stopped  to  ask  what  it  was, 
but — he  knew  his  soldiers,  he  didn't  know 
what  it  was  to  be  afraid— and  where  he 
wanted  to  go  he  went." 

The  Man,  who  had  been  listening  thus 
far  with  sympathy,  started — at  these  last 
words — into  tenseness. 
J5 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

"Did  your  Napoleon  never — doubt?"  he 
asked,  with  rather  a  breathless  voice. 

44  If  he  did,  no  one  ever  saw  him,"  chuck 
led  the  cabinet-maker,  indulgently.  "That 
was  why  we  followed  him.  It  sounds  like 
very  little,  but — if  he  could  call  me  to-day, 
I'd  jump  up  and  hop  on  one  leg  after  him/' 

Had  Joseph  Schotz  not  been  lost  in  the 
one  story  that  never  failed  to  thrill  him — 
of  his  shattered  dreams  and  his  hero — he 
would  have  noticed  that  the  face  of  the 
tall  man  who  sat  before  him  had  lapsed 
into  hopelessness.  This  time  there  was 
even  something  desperate  in  the  eyes. 
But  Napoleon's  color-bearer  went  on: 

"But  you  see—instead  of  that  I'm  here." 
He  glanced  at  his  leg  again  with  a  repressed 
passion  of  bitterness,  which  made  him  in 
some  dark  way  kin  to  the  man  who  listened. 
"It  was  when  I  couldn't  fight  for  him  that 
I  learned  to  carve  the  wreaths  on  the  chairs 
16 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

at  the  Tuileries —  after  all,  that  was  near 
the  end.  ...  It  is  never  as  the  Emperor  on 
his  throne  that  I  think  of  him — I  have  seen 
him  so  —  or  as  the  general  on  horseback; 
but  as  the  soldier  in  his  gray  overcoat  going 
about  among  us.  He  had  a  way  of  stand 
ing,  sir,  as  if  you  couldn't  dislodge  him — 
that  was  Buonaparte/' 

Mrs.  Schotz  had  gone  back  to  the  counter 
with  the  toys  the  stranger  sought.  With 
an  irresolute  effort  he  moved  listlessly 
toward  them*  There  was  a  whole  regi 
ment  of  little  men  in  blue,  and  with  them 
a  gorgeous  officer  in  gold-decked  uniform 
waving  his  sword  above  a  prancing  steed. 
The  Man  laid  his  hand  upon  the  toy  and 
moved  it  absently  into  position  at  the  head 
of  the  men.  The  brave  general  toppled 
spinelessly  over  when  the  great  gnarled 
hand  was  removed.  The  woman  shook  her 
head. 

J7 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

4 'He  not — can — stand/'  she  said,  in  her 
hesitating  English*  "  Too  heavy — of  the 
— head*  This  " — substituting  a  plain  little 
captain  with  modest  sword  held  at  atten 
tion — "  this  stand  so  you — not — can — dis — 
lodge  him/' 

The  Man  raised  his  head  alertly  as  the 
woman  echoed  so  unconsciously  her  hus 
band's  words*  The  movement  was  a  quick 
er  one  than  could  have  been  expected  from 
the  languor  of  the  whole  figure*  He  gave 
a  quick  glance  from  the  man  to  the  woman 
and  then  at  the  toy  soldiers*  Then  he 
squared  his  shoulders*  His  hand  closed 
again  upon  the  top-heavy  little  general 
and*  half-  absently  *  swept  him  aside*  The 
plain  little  officer  was  moved  into  position* 
The  officer  stood*  A  light  that  was  half 
humor  and  half  inspiration  broke  upon  the 
rugged  face  of  the  Man  who  bent  over  them 
both* 

(8 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

"  No  more  generals  on  horseback/'  he 
muttered*  "  My  man  may  ride  when  it  is 
necessary,  but  he  must  know  how  to  walk, 
too.  I  want  one — I  wonder  if  I  know  him 
— who  *  stands  so  you  can't  dislodge  him  ' 
and  who  *  knows  his  men/  Perhaps  they 
have  given  me  the  answer  to  it  all.  Per 
haps,  after  all,  I  can  find  him.  Per 
haps.  And  *  where  he  wants  to  go  ' — was 
that  the  word?"  He  pored  over  the  toys. 
The  woman  went  back  to  her  knitting. 
The  click  of  needles  or  the  noise  of  a  tool 
raised  or  laid  down  was  the  only  sound 
heard  in  the  shop. 

44  Are  you  buying  the  soldiers  for  your 
boys?  It's  wonderful  how  they  take  to 
them  these  days."  The  voice  of  the  cab 
inet-maker  broke  the  stillness.  He  repeated 
the  question  before  the  Man  heard.  And 
even  then  the  answer  was  slow  in  coming. 

44 1  have  but  one  boy  to  buy  toys  for — • 
J9 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

now/'  said  the  man,  at  length*  "  The  other 
one — that  is  left — is  too  old*  And.  in  spite 
of  all,  the  child  must  be  made  happy*" 

He  turned  again  to  the  soldiers  as  if 
they  contained  the  answer  to  some  ques 
tion*  His  eyes  fell  again  upon  the  cap 
tain*  He  nodded  as  though  he  recognized 
some  one*  "  I  believe  I  —  know,"  he 
thought*  half-fearfully*  "He  *  stands  so 
you  can't  dislodge  him  * — he  4  doesn't  know 
what  it  is  to  be  afraid  ' — he  4  walks  about 
among  his  men ' — he 4  knows  them*' '  The 
man  seized  the  officer  almost  fiercely  and 
held  it  in  his  big  hand* 

44 1  will  put  him  there*  He  will  stand* 
And  " — his  face  lit  up  with  sudden  fire — 
44  and  *  where  he  wants  to  go '  he  shall  go, 
please  God !" 

He  swept  the  soldiers  into  a  heap  and 
pushed  them  from  him*  waiting  impatiently 

while  Mrs*  Schotz  deftly  made  them  up  into 
20 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

a  parcel.  But  when  that  was  done  he  still 
lingered.  Suddenly  he  turned  to  Joseph 
Schotz  with  a  sort  of  desperation. 

44  Did  he  never — waver — your  Napoleon 
— even  when  he  watched  thousands  of  you 
— even  men  with  children — die,  and  die 
because  he  placed  you  there — bound  in  the 
shambles?" 

The  cabinet-maker  raised  his  head  from 
his  work  in  surprise.  The  inexplicable  agony 
in  the  face  of  the  other  man  brought  an 
unusual  thoughtfulness  into  the  peasant's 
face. 

"I  do  not  know"— he  hesitated— 44 1 
am  not  sure.  He  must  have  felt — but  no 
one  ever  saw  him.  He  could  not  stop. 
There  was  not  a  moment  when,  if  he  had 
halted — even  to  pity — all  the  great  Thing 
he  was  building  would  not  have  fallen  about 
his  ears — and  carried  all  France  down  with 
it.  No,  he  could  not  stop.  If  he  had  been 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

of  those  who  falter  " — here  Schotz  shrugged 
his  shoulders  with  the  gesture  of  the  French 
men  he  had  fought  among — "  Buonaparte 
should  not  have  played  the  game  of  war/' 

The  tall  man  winced.  He  looked  for  a 
moment  as  if  the  cabinet-maker  had  taunt 
ed  him — knowing.  Then  he  straightened 
his  shoulders.  His  face  hardened  into  lines 
of  steadfastness  and  determination.  Tak 
ing  up  his  parcel — 

"Thank  you,"  he  said,  with  a  deeper 
intonation  than  one  would  have  expected 
in  return  for  so  slight  a  deed — "  thank 
you,"  he  said  to  Joseph  Schotz,  and  wrung 
his  hand  with  a  grasp  that  hurt.  Then  he 
hurried  out. 

When  they  had  watched  the  great  figure 
out  of  sight — 

"Wflo  is  he— that  tall  man?  Do  you 
know,  my  wife?"  asked  Joseph  Schotz,  in 

their  own  tongue. 

22 


THE    TOY- SHOP 

44  Some  American/'  replied  his  wife,  with 
democratic  unconcern.  Then  when  her  hus 
band  continued  to  gaze  earnestly  at  the  door 
from  which  their  guest  had  departed,  "  A 
sad-looking  man,  I  think/' 

"  Yes,  he  is  one  that  carries  with  him  the 
sorrows  of  the  world.  When  he  came  into 
the  world  he  had  already  known  what  it 
was  to  sorrow.  Men  like  that  must  learn 
to  laugh  or  they  cannot  live/' 

44  What  does  it  matter?"  she  said,  rally 
ing  him*  44  He  is  not  thy  Napoleon/' 

44  No,  he  is  not  Napoleon,"  replied  the 
man,  quickly,  looking  down  at  his  hand, 
still  red  from  the  pressure  of  the  bony 
fingers.  "  No — Napoleon  never  played — 
with  toys." 

Joseph  Schotz  was  weaker  in  the  summer 
heat  when  the  Man  next  came  to  the  toy 
shop.     The  wife  was  at  market,  so  there 
23 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

was  nobody  in  the  place  save  Joseph  and 
the  little  neighbor  girl  who  was  being  taught 
to  take  in  pennies  like  a  woman  grown* 
She  was  not  an  altogether  profitable  clerk, 
however,  for  she  outdid  Mrs*  Schotz  in  giv 
ing  too  good  measure  for  the  pennies*  But 
there  was  need  for  her  help,  and  soon  there 
would  be — more* 

The  Man  entered  the  shop  eagerly*  From 
his  remembering  glance  that  comprehended 
the  place  to  its  farthest  shelf  one  would 
have  said  that  he  had  just  left  it*  He  was 
stooping  and  careworn,  but  his  eyes  sought 
the  toys  with  expectation*  And  as  he 
dwelt  upon  this  spot  which  ministered  to 
pure  delight — a  territory  consecrated  to 
those  flowerings  of  grown-up  fancy  which 
the  children  call  toys — his  bent  shoulders 
straightened  and  his  deep  eyes  began  to 
smile*  For  a  few  moments  he  said  nothing* 

He  was  like  a  man  who  was  drinking  great 
24 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

draughts  of  water,  a  parched  man,  new 
from  desert  sands*  At  last  he  crossed  to 
where  Joseph  waited. 

44 1  found  my  man,"  he  began,  with  out 
stretched  hand.  Then  he  checked  himself, 
realizing  that  Joseph  could  not  know.  In 
that  moment  he  saw  the  ravages  that  suffer 
ing  had  wrought  upon  the  sick  man's  face, 
and  a  new  look  came  into  his  eyes* 

44  How  is  it  with  you,  my  friend?"  he 
asked.  His  voice  would  have  been  tender 
had  he  not  taken  care  to  make  it  merely 
frank — as  from  one  man  to  another  who 
was  bearing  pain  without  words.  Then 
Joseph  saw  that  he  was  changed  from  the 
man  who  had  sought  the  shop  the  Decem 
ber  gone  by.  There  was  sorrow  in  the  eyes, 
but  there  was  no  more  despair. 

44  Some  toy  soldiers,  please,"  the  stranger 
said  to  the  little  girl  who  waited  behind 
the  counter.  His  tone  had  both  firmness 
25 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

and  purpose  in  it,  but  it  had  changed  into 
mere  kindness  when  he  turned  again  to 
Joseph* 

44  What  do  you  think  of  our  new  general, 
friend  Schotz?"  he  asked. 

"  He  knows  how  to  win  victories/'  re 
plied  Joseph, 44  but—" 

44  It  is  long,  is  it  not,  too  long?  Would 
your  Napoleon  have  ended  it  sooner  ?" 
The  glance  of  the  deep-set  eyes  was  keen. 
At  last  he  answered  the  uncertainty  on  the 
peasant's  face  with  a  great  sigh. 

'  Yes,  it  is  long — oh,  more  than  that," 
he  interrupted  himself  to  say  to  the  little 
clerk  — 44  more  soldiers  than  that/'  He 
crossed  the  room  to  give  her  a  gentle  pat 
on  the  cheek,  a  caress  which  somehow 
made  her  feel  his  impatience  to  be  at  play. 
4  We  need  all  you  can  get,  all  you  have. 
We  must  reach  the  end  quickly,  no  matter 

how  many  lives  it  may  cost.    That  is  the 
26 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

only  way  to  be  merciful/'  He  was  talking 
now  to  himself.  The  child  made  round 
eyes,  but  she  brought  the  legions  out.  Be 
fore  they  were  all  there  the  Man  was  back 
at  the  counter. 

"  Cannon,  too — lots  of  them."  His  voice 
was  absent,  for  he  was  arranging  the  sol 
diers  into  opposing  camps.  u  There  must 
be  some  plan  which  will  end  it.  This  box 
will  do  for  a  fort.  This  for  another.  This 
chap  is  making  faces,  but  we'll  use  him,  too. 
Into  your  shell,  sir.  It's  the  rampart  we 
need."  The  jack-in-the-box  was  cut  short 
in  the  midst  of  a  horrible  grimace. 

44  Was  the  boy  pleased  with  his  toys?" 
asked  Joseph  Schotz  from  his  end  of  the 
room.  His  voice  was  wistful;  he  had  never 
needed  to  use  his  skill  for  the  delight  of 
children  of  his  own. 

44  Yes,  my  friend." 

44  Yes,  there  is  indeed  a  change  in  the 
27 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

Man  since  his  first  visit/'  thought  Joseph* 
The  smile  with  which  the  guest  looked  up 
from  his  toys  warmed  the  sick  man's  heart, 
about  which  a  chill  had  been  gathering* 

44  But  he  wants  more*  He  always  does." 
There  was  the  purest  delight  in  the  father's 
face  as  he  spoke.  44  Just  the  other  day  I 
came  across  an  upper  chamber  in  our  house 
which  was  full  of  toys.  They  were  all  for 
gotten;  but  each  one  had  made  him  happy 
for  a  day.  That's  the  thing.  He  doesn't 
even  have  to  learn  his  lessons  from  them 
as  I  do."  He  smiled  whimsically.  "I  am 
trying  to  give  him  all  the  toys  I — didn't 
have*  And  " — his  voice  died  away,  and  he 
forced  the  words  with  difficulty — "  he  must 
have  all  that  I  meant  to  give  the  boy  who 
— went  away." 

"You  mustn't  spoil  him,"  said  Schotz, 
after  a  moment,  with  the  perfunctory  mo 
rality  of  the  childless  man. 
28 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

The  smile  broke  out  again.  "  Bless  you, 
you  can't  spoil  children  with  love.  Why, 
my  boy  plays  with  his  soldiers,  but  he 
doesn't  know  that  war  is  anything  but  a 
game.  I  wish  his  father  could  win  battles 
with  toy  soldiers  and  tin  swords."  His 
eyes  were  drawn  back  to  the  counter.  The 
next  moment  he  was  lost  to  every  sight  and 
sound. 

Marvellous  operations  were  soon  in  prog 
ress  on  the  counter.  One  set  of  men  was 
intrenched  behind  all  the  boxes  within 
sight.  Advance  and  retreat — shifting  to 
right  and  to  left — both  sides  alert,  one 
would  have  said — they  seemed  so  under 
the  great  hands  that  hovered  over  them — 
the  besieged  army  handled  with  the  same 
cool  intelligence — both  sides  manoeuvred 
for  position. 

The  cuckoo-clock  in  the  corner  struck 
eleven.  The  little  clerk  stared  with  mouth 
29 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

open  at  the  big  man  who  played  with 
toys*  Schotz  watched  him  with  question 
ing  eyes  as  the  stranger  knitted  shaggy 
brows  over  some  problem  that  baffled 
him. 

Creeping  over  nearer,  closing  in  around 
by  patient  degrees,  came  the  army  mar 
shalled  by  the  plain  little  officer,  with 
sword  at  attention,  marching  on  foot  at 
the  head  of  his  men. 

44 1  have  it!"  cried  the  Man,  in  heart-felt 
triumph.  He  looked  up.  There  was  a 
dawning  realization  of  his  audience. 

44  A  queer  thing  for  an  old  man  like  me 
to  be  playing  with  toy  soldiers,"  he  laughed, 
sweeping  the  late  combatants  into  an  un 
dignified  heap. 

"  So  have  I  seen  the  officers  at  home  in 
the  ecole  de  weire.  Such  play  would  aid 
you  were  you  a  soldier." 

The  tall  man  shot  a  quick  glance  at 
30 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

Joseph,  in  which  there  was  much  humor 
and  some  suspicion* 

44  Tell  me— "  he  began*  But  he  did  not 
finish  his  sentence.  He  was  feverishly  anx 
ious  to  be  gone.  There  was  so  much  to  be 
done;  the  child's  fingers  were  clumsy  as  she 
wrapped  up  the  soldiers.  But  he  found 
time  for  a  smile  at  the  little  maid  and  a 
sympathetic  pressure  of  Joseph's  hand  be 
fore  he  crossed  the  threshold  and  was  gone. 

At  the  same  moment  there  was  a  bustle 
at  the  door.  Mrs.  Schotz  hurried  in,  mar 
ket-basket  in  hand.  She  had  not  laid  it 
down  before  she  was  at  her  husband's  side, 
her  anxious  eyes  searching  his  face  to  find 
how  he  had  fared. 

"Clara,  the  tall  man  has  been  here 
again." 

44  Yes,"  she  said,  "  I  met  him*  Do  you 
know  yet  who  he  is?" 

44 1  have  thought  that  I  have  somewhere 
3J 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

seen  a  face  like  that,"  replied  Joseph,  slowly. 
44  Something  made  me  feel — his  playing 
with  the  soldiers,  which  yet  seemed  more 
than  play — he  might  be  in  the  army — he 
might  even  be  an  officer — and  yet  he  had 
not  the  air*  Still,  they  are  not  all  drilled 
in  schools,  these  officers  in  this  war." 

44  But  listen,"  said  his  wife,  as  she  seated 
herself  by  him,  with  joy  that  there  was 
something  to  tell  that  he  would  be  glad  to 
hear.  "  I  have  something  to  tell  you. 
This  morning,  on  my  way  to  market,  every 
where  there  were  soldiers — dirty,  lean  as 
from  hunger,  faces  black  with  powder  stains. 
At  first  I  was  afraid — " 

44  But,  my  wife,"  said  Joseph,  indulgent 
ly,  "  what  was  there  to  be  feared?" 

44 1  will  tell  you*    A  crowd  of  soldiers 

came    swaggering    into    Schmidt's*    They 

ordered  him  to  wait  on  them,  and  when  he 

asked  for  money  for  the  food,  they  shook 

32 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

their  fists  at  him  with  ugly  words,  and 
called  for  all  to  come  and  take  what  they 
would.  Two  officers  hurried  up  and  ordered 
them  to  return  to  their  ranks,  but  they 
laughed  at  the  officers/' 

44  Mutiny!"  whispered  Napoleon's  soldier, 
his  face  pale  with  excitement* 

44  They  swore  oaths  and  said  that  they 
would  fight  no  more  battles  for  men  who 
were  old  women  and  stayed  at  home  while 
they  sweated  and  bled  and  were  starving/' 

44  "Without  doubt  their  officers  ordered 
them  into  arrest?"  demanded  Joseph, 
fiercely* 

44  Who  was  there  to  arrest  them?  The 
officers  looked  white,  and  I  was  trembling. 
More  soldiers  came  into  the  square,  until 
everywhere  there  were  angry  faces  and 
bodies  swaying  this  way  and  that,  while 
the  men  were  thinking  what  evil  they  should 
do.  At  that  moment  a  carriage  drove  up 
33 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

at  full  speed*  There  was  one  man  in  it. 
He  stood  tip;  he  was  a  tall  man.  A  hesitat 
ing  sort  of  shout  went  up  from  the  soldiers. 
Then  there  was  a  great  mattering,  and  every 
one  rushed  toward  him,  and  some  were 
shaking  their  fists. 

"  The  man  stood  still.  He  said  no  word. 
But  little  by  little  the  muttering  stopped 
and  there  was  silence.  Then  the  crowd 
began  backing  away  from  him.  There  was 
a  break  in  the  mass,  and  through  it  I  saw 
his  face.  He  was  smiling  with — well,  the 
way  fathers  look  at  their  children  that  have 
hurt  themselves  because  they  were  naughty 
and  are  yet  not  very  bad.  Still  there  was 
silence." 

"He  held  them  so?"  broke  in  Joseph. 
44  But  then  he  was  a  great  man.  But  who  ?" 

"Wait.  He  began  talking  to  them.  I 
couldn't  hear  what  he  said,  for  all  the  men 

began  crowding  up  around  him.    But  one 
34 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

moment  they  laughed,  and  the  next  they 
were  wiping  their  eyes  with  the  back  of 
their  hands/' 

Joseph  was  listening  with  shining  eyes. 

44  "When  he  had  driven  off  again  the  sol 
diers  went  back  to  their  camp.  Some  of 
them  looked  downcast  and  ashamed,  but 
most  of  them  were  just  boyish  and  good- 
natured,  as  if  they  had  forgotten  how  they 
felt  before*  One  boy  laughed  as  he  passed 
me: 

44  4  Say,  that  was  a  good  one  about  the 
tin  soldier.  I  felt  like  a  toy  soldier  myself 
when  he  turned  those  eyes  of  his  on  me!' ' 

44  Who  was  it  ?"  asked  Joseph  Schotz, 
eagerly.  44  Have  they  such  a  man?  Was  it 
the  new  general?  I  have  thought  he  might 
be  such  a  man — to  win  such  victories.  And 
yet "— his  face  fell— 4t  that  one  is  a  short 
man,  and  this,  you  said,  was  very  tall." 

"The  general?  No!"  said  Mrs.  Schotz, 
35 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

contemptuously.  "  It  was  not  the  general. 
As  he  drove  off,  some  boys  shouted,  *  Hurrah 
for  the  President!' " 

44  The  President!"  Joseph  echoed* 

u  The  President*  And,  Joseph,  when  I 
saw  his  face  I  knew  him/'  She  paused  to 
make  sure  of  the  effect  upon  her  petted  in 
valid  of  what  she  had  to  say*  "  It  was  he 
who  came  to  us  to  buy  toy  soldiers!" 

She  fell  back  triumphantly  when  she  had 
fired  this  bolt  of  wonder.  But  Joseph  was 
looking  at  her  with  eyes  in  which  there  was 
no  wonder — only  comprehension* 

44  So,"  he  said,  slowly — 44  so — that  was 
the  President*  So  Napoleon  would  have 
done*" 

The  doctor  had  told  Joseph  that  he  must 

go  to  his  bed.    The  old  soldier  winced.    A 

man  may  be  brave  before  bullets  and  yet 

quail    before    the   doctor.    The   bed   was 

36 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

brought  down  into  the  little  kitchen  back 
of  the  shop*  Joseph  insisted  on  it. 

44  It  is  that  I  may  be  able  to  help  you  tend 
the  shop/'  he  said.  But  the  real  reason  was 
that  he  might  not  be  banished  from  the 
children's  domain.  He  could  still  see  Minna 
and  Rosa  and  Bennie  come  for  their  toys. 

Thus  it  happened  that  one  morning 
Joseph  sat  propped  up  in  his  narrow  wood 
en  bed.  Mrs.  Schotz  bustled,  with  much 
demonstration  of  activity,  about  her  work. 
Joseph  almost  wished  that  she  would  go 
up-stairs.  He  was  forced  to  keep  up  an 
appearance  of  much  cheerfulness — if  he 
screwed  up  his  face  when  the  pain  came, 
she  wept. 

"I  wonder  if  the  President  will  come 
to-day,"  he  thought.  44  He  said  he  would 
as  soon  as  he  got  back.  I  want  to  see  how 
he  looks  since  the  surrender.  Strange  that 
it  should  have  been  on  Palm  Sunday."  His 
4  37 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

eyes  strayed  to  the  mantel-piece,  where  a 
spray  of  palm  waved  from  a  gilt  vase.  The 
wife  had  had  it  in  her  hand  when  she  came 
in  from  the  street  with  the  news  the  day 
before. 

44  If  he  would  comet  it  would  be  easier/' 
thought  Joseph.  *4  He  would  take  my  hand 
and  look  deep  into  my  eyes — it  would  be  as 
if  he  took  some  of  the  pain  away  from  me — 
into  his  own  heart/'  And  then,  because 
some  childishness  is  permitted  to  the  sick, 
he  moved  peevishly  in  his  bed  and  thumped 
his  pillow. 

Suddenly  the  door  opened.  It  was  the 
President.  Still,  a  different  President — al 
most  a  new  one.  His  shoulders  were  straight 
and  held  well  back,  He  walked  with  a  sort 
of  joyous  impatience,  as  though  he  brushed 
aside  palms  of  victory.  His  eyes  glowed. 
He  spoke  as  he  entered,  and  his  voice  broke 
into  a  boyish  laugh.  "When  he  looked  into 
38 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

the  room  and  saw  Joseph,  the  full  meaning 
of  the  change  struck  him  and  his  face  fell. 
For  a  moment  he  looked  almost  abashed. 
Then,  shaking  his  head  with  decision,  he 
strode  through  the  shop  to  where  the  sick 
man  lay.  He  took  Joseph's  hand  with 
resolute  happiness  and  held  it,  looking  full 
into  the  other  man's  eyes.  There  was  no 
need  of  words  between  them.  A  heartening 
and  a  tonic  influence  went  from  one  man 
to  the  other. 

44  It  is  over,  friend  Schotz,"  he  said,  buoy 
antly.  44  The  nightmare  is  over;  we  are 
awake."  He  paused  and  added,  under  his 
breath,  with  humble,  halting  reverence, 
44  Thank  God!" 

44  They  have  surrendered."  Joseph  Schotz 
raised  himself  on  his  elbows. 

44  It  was  the  meeting  of  two  great  men," 
said  the  President.  44  Mine  and  the  other. 
He's  a  general  after  our  own  hearts — eh, 
39 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

Schotz — the  modest  man  you  helped  me  to 
chooser 

The  sick  man's  face  was  every  minute 
taking  on  the  lines  of  hope  and  manly  force* 
The  other  man  watched  him  with  tender 
eyes,  in  which  the  pity  was  carefully  veiled. 

44  Yes,  we  chose  him  well,  my  President/' 
said  Joseph,  with  almost  a  swagger* 

44  You  will  never  know  how  great  is 
my  gratitude,  Schotz,"  suggested  the  Presi 
dent,  44  because  you  can  never  know  from 
what  you  saved  me — you  and  the  toy-shop. 
The  day  when  first  I  came  here  I  had  fallen 
into  a  pit  digged  by  my  own  nature*  You 
showed  me  the  way  out/'  His  eyes  were 
on  the  sick  man,  and  he  chose  the  words 
that  would  hearten  most.  "  It  was  a  great 
service  you  did  me — and,  through  me,  this 
great  land  of  ours." 

There  was  a  light  in  Joseph's  eyes  that 

had  been  absent  for  many  days. 
40 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

"  And  now  it  is  over/'  The  President 
drew  a  breath  so  great  that  his  gaunt  frame 
expanded*  He  settled  into  a  chair  near  the 
bed  with  a  sigh  of  restfulness.  u  The  boys 
will  come  home.  Their  mothers  will  meet 
them.  Their  fathers  will  grip  their  hands. 
No,  I  will  not  think  of  those  who  will  be 
missing — the  time  for  that  has  passed.  The 
children  will  hang  about  their  father's  neck. 
And  they  will  be  together."  The  light  grew 
in  the  President's  eyes,  until  it  seemed  they 
blazed  with  a  love  which  was  that  of  child 
and  father  in  one  and  contained  the  passion 
and  tenderness  of  the  universal  lover. 

Then  the  President  rose,  shaking  himself 
like  a  great  spaniel  and  laughing  from  de 
light  in  living* 

'*  There  are  things  to  be  done — oh,  the 

fight  is  not  over.    Perhaps  it  is  only  begun. 

But  to-day  is  my  perfect  moment — the  first 

perfect  moment  of  my  life,  God  knows/' 

4J 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

He  paused  and  raised  himself  to  his  full 
stature — challenging  his  fate*  "  It  is  enough 
to  have  lived  for.  I  am  content !" 

He  turned  to  Schotz  again,  and  his  face 
was  radiant  with  steadfast  brightness. 

"  There  will  be  a  future,  my  friend.  "We 
are  ready  for  it,  are  we  not?  I  know  the 
path  will  be  clear.  I  have  begun — the 
first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  heal.  Beyond 
that " — he  paused,  and  his  forehead  con 
tracted  slightly  as  if  from  doubt — "  all 
is  in  the  shadow."  A  veil  made  vague  the 
joyousness  of  his  eyes*  It  seemed  to  Joseph 
that  his  great  friend  was  looking  upon  some 
thing  that  he  himself  could  not  see.  The 
face  brightened — the  eyes  opened  wide — 
became  luminous.  *  *  *  The  President  took 
up  his  words  in  an  altered  tone.  "  Beyond 
that — I  cannot  see,"  he  ended,  happily. 

Joseph    watched    him    for    a    moment. 

Then,  uneasy,  he  put  out  his  hand  and 
42 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

touched  him  timidly  on  the  sleeve.  The 
President  smiled  at  him  again.  There 
seemed  to  be  no  transition  and  yet — they 
were  back  again  in  the  world  where  things 
were  to  be  done  and — borne. 

44  And  now,  friend  Joseph "  (the  Presi 
dent  took  up  again  the  task  he  had  set 
himself  in  the  shadowed  toy-shop),  "  when 
we  were  in  the  conquered  city  I  found  a 
toy — "  He  interrupted  himself  to  laugh. 
"  It  was  the  only  loot  I  permitted  myself." 

Joseph  stared  at  him  with  puzzled  ex 
pectation. 

"  For,  after  all,  toys  are  the  only  things 
that  are  worth  the  consideration  of  wise 
folks  like  you  and  me."  He  was  busily 
extricating  a  package  from  his  pocket. 
It  was  done  up  in  many  wrappings.  He 
watched  while  the  sick  man  pulled  off  the 
papers,  one  after  another.  Joseph  became 
angry  with  them — they  seemed  endless. 
43 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

Then  the  President  chuckled  gleefully,  for 
he  saw  the  color  coming  into  Joseph's  face. 
At  last  the  toy  stood  in  Joseph's  hand  re 
vealed — a  little  tin  soldier.  Joseph  looked 
at  it  in  wonder* 

44  But  what—?"  he  began.  Then, "  Why, 
it  is  the  old  uniform — he  carries  the  tri 
color.  Where  did  you  find  Napoleon's 
soldier,  my  President?" 

The  President  watched  him  tenderly. 

"  That  is  my  secret,  friend  Joseph.  Does 
he  look  to  you  like  the  little  color-bearer, 
my  friend,  that  marched  gayly  out,  in  the 
sparkling  sunshine?  But  see — he  is  no 
child — his  hair  is  gray."  He  bent  forward. 
He  saw  a  spasm  of  pain  contract  the  worn 
face.  He  saw  the  involuntary  movement 
of  muscles  when  tortured  nerves  cry  out. 
He  saw  the  stark  will  of  the  man  who  sternly 
commanded  his  anguish  to  be  decent  and 

to  make  no  moan. 

44 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

44  He  is  a  soldier,  my  Joseph,  one  of  my 
soldiers,  and  in  the  evening  he  is  doing 
the  greatest  deed  of  all/'  The  President's 
voice  had  stink  into  a  cadence  which  was 
melodious  with  all  the  pain  the  world  has 
known — and  all  the  joy.  He  held  with  his 
own  the  sufferer's  eyes  so  that  he  could  not 
fail  to  understand* 

44  He  is  a  hero—!" 

The  President  sat  with  the  sick  man  in 
a  pregnant  silence,  while  the  color  came 
back  into  the  face  of  the  man  on  the  bed. 
At  last  there  came  a  smile.  When  he  was 
satisfied  that  his  work  was  done,  the  Presi 
dent  'rose.  For  a  moment  his  hand  touched 
Joseph's  brow  as  the  sculptor  does  his  clay, 
with  that  touch  which  is  a  caress. 

"  And  now,  friend  Joseph,  good-bye." 

After  he  had  gone,  Joseph  looked  at  the 
toy  the  President  had  left.  He  put  it  to 
his  lips.  He  held  it  to  his  meagre  chest. 
45 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

And  thus  they  lay,  the  man  and  the  toy, 
until  the  exaltation  on  Joseph's  face  soft 
ened  into  perfect  peace. 

44  Toys — toys — "  So  his  thoughts  sang 
themselves*  u  Toys*  Nothing  else  is  real. 
Toys  of  tenderness — toys  of  mirth — toys 
that  sail  a  man  back  to  childhood — toys 
that  sweep  a  man  into  manhood — and  be 
yond."  He  held  the  color-bearer  passion 
ately  close.  "  A  hero!"  he  said.  "  Thank 
God  for  the  man  who  knows  our  hearts. 
The  world  is  his  toy-shop  and  men  and 
women  are  his  toys.  He  can  use  everybody 
— it  makes  no  difference  how  ugly  a  toy 
may  be.  He  loves  them  even  when  they 
are  naughty — just  like  a  little  girl  when 
she  spanks  her  dolly/'  Joseph  smiled  at 
his  own  thoughts  with  tenderness.  .  .  . 
"  Just  like  the  Christ  who  suffers  us  to 
come  to  Him." 

44 1  wonder  ...  is  it  because  he  loves 
46 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

people  or  because  he  plays  with  them  that 
he  is  so  far  above  them? — I  believe  he  is 
very  far  off — looking  on*  He  is  really 
neither  smiling  nor  looking  sad — just  see 
ing/' 

The  room  was  quiet*  The  pain  had 
ceased.  Joseph  clasped  his  toy  and  slept* 

Into  the  damp  night  air  drifted  suddenly 
a  wave  of  sound.  It  startled  Mrs.  Schotz, 
who  sat  at  work  by  the  lamp,  watching  late 
into  the  night.  Even  as  she  lifted  her 
head  to  listen  it  swelled  into  a  distant  growl 
of  thunder,  threatening,  sullen.  A  startled 
voice  came  from  her  husband's  bed  asking 
what  the  noise  might  be.  Before  she  had 
time  to  answer,  the  door  burst  open,  and 
their  neighbor,  the  cobbler's  wife,  ran  into 
the  shop. 

44  Have  you  heard,"  she  shrieked — "  have 
you  heard?  They  have  killed  him,  the 
47 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

good  President!''  With  the  last  word  she 
was  out  of  the  door* 

Joseph  fell  back  and  lay  still.  His  hands 
were  clinched  and  his  lips  were  locked.  He 
tried  to  lock  his  heart,  too*  He  did  not  dare 
to  feel.  *  *  * 

444  A  hero/"  he  thought.  "He  called 
me  that."  The  sound  of  his  wife's  sob 
bing  filled  the  room.  .  .  *  No.  it  would  never 
do  to  weep*  "  Ah-h!"  A  pang  greater 
than  he  had  ever  known  shattered  him* 
He  held  that  down,  too*  It  was  then  that 
a  great  thought  came  to  him — the  pain 
taught  him* 

"  The  same  future,  then,  for  him  and  for 


me*" 


He  lay  very  still  while  the  thought  grew 
and  filled  him*  The  sound  of  his  wife's 
sobbing  sank  lower  and  lower.  She  crept 
close  to  her  husband  and  laid  her  hand  on 
his.  He  took  it  gently  in  his  weak  fingers, 
48 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

and  thus  they  remained.  The  room  seemed 
empty* 

"They  killed  him,  too,  thy  Napoleon/' 
at  last  his  wife  said,  timidly.  Joseph 
started.  The  name  of  the  old  god  made 
him  know  how  far  he  had  gone.  For  a 
moment  he  felt  shame,  as  though  he,  too, 
had  betrayed.  Then  he  spoke: 

44  If  the  Emperor,  too,  had  had — toys — 
and  if  he  had  played  with  them;  if  he  had 
been  able  to  laugh  at  the  world  and — yes — 
a  little  at  himself;  if  he  had  been  able  to 
laugh  at  himself — and  cry  over  other  people 
— he  would  not  have  stayed  at  St.  Helena. 
And  ...  he  would  have  been  almost  as  great 
as  the  President/' 

Mrs.  Schotz  started  forward  and  put  her 
face  close  to  that  of  her  husband.  She 
spoke  with  her  eyes  on  his  eyes. 

*  You  say — that — my  Joseph?" 

He  nodded  his  head  weakly  but  with 
49 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

meaning.  And  both  were  silent  with  that 
silence  which  follows  truth  proclaimed. 

After  a  few  minutes  he  took  up  his  thought 
again. 

44 1  thought,  my  wife,  that  the  end  of 
life  had  come  for  me  when  I  knew  that  I 
should  have  to  sit  here  in  the  shop  the  rest 
of  the  days  of  my  life  and  make  toys  for 
children.  Now  I  know  that  it  was  but  the 
beginning.  He  taught  me*  There  could 
be  nothing  greater.  The  toys  will  live  in 
the  homes  of  the  children.  They  will  find 
them,  too,  the  toys  he  bought  for  his  boy — 
after  he  has  gone.  But  not  every  one  will 
know  the  work  that  they  have  done.  Nor 
will  all  the  toys  the  President  left  be 
so  easily  discovered.  *  *  .  I,  too,  am  his 
toy/' 

He  stopped,  for  he  was  weak.  After  a 
time,  when  he  had  lain  gazing  at  the  wall 

with  a  look  that  was  new  to  his  face,  an 
50 


THE    TOY-SHOP 

eager  look  that  made  his  wife  break  into 
hopeless  but  silent  sobbing,  he  said: 
44  It  is  enough  to  have  made  him  smile/' 

When  the  President  had  been  carried  to  his  rest 
it  came  to  pass  that  men  whom  the  dead  man  had 
not  known  were  called  into  the  house  to  make  ready 
for  those  who  were  to  come.  Through  the  long 
hours  of  the  day  they  toiled.  The  garments  that 
the  President  had  worn  and  those  things  which  he 
had  used  in  his  labor  were  placed  aside.  When  it 
was  evening  they  came  upon  an  upper  chamber  full 
of  toys.  The  men  closed  the  door  hastily  and  came 
away.  But  at  night  when  they  drew  near  to  their 
own  homes  they  kissed  more  tenderly  the  children 
who  ran  to  meet  them  from  their  open  doors. 


